The Usual
by PhoenixRisingOnTheMoon
Summary: Summary: "Hot chocolate, please," Emma said politely. "With cinnamon and whipped cream, too." Regina had already started to make it, and was finished shortly after Emma had paid for it. "Enjoy," she said with a smile. "I most certainly will," Emma said with a shy smile before turning and walking out. [AU in which Regina is a barista and Emma just wants more than hot chocolate]


Regina stood behind the counter to the coffee shop with her coworker, Ruby. Both watched as a brunette man with blue eyes and too much chest hair showing walked in the door.

"Two sugars," Ruby guessed.

Regina shook her head. "He probably will order it black to try and show off."

Ruby snorted and walked up to the register to greet the man. "Hi, how can I help you today?"

"Grande, iced, sugar-free, vanilla latte with soy milk," the man rattled off.

Ruby kept her face straight as she punched in the order. "Sure thing, anything else?"

"No," he said, already thrusting his credit card in her direction.

"Can I get a name for that order?"

"Killian."

Regina shook her head and started making his order, handing it over and ignoring the wink he sent in her direction as he walked back out the door.

"Looks like we were both wrong," Ruby said. "Next customer is yours." At that moment the door jingled and a blonde woman walked through. "Or mine, hot damn." She started walking up to the register when Regina pulled her back.

"Next customer's mine, remember?" Regina said with a smirk. She turned to the blonde woman. "Hello, how may I help you today?"

The blonde woman smiled politely. "Can I just have a hot chocolate?"

Regina nodded, her face focused on the screen in front of her. "Yes, would you like whipped cream?"

The woman nodded. "And is it possible to get a dash of cinnamon on top, too?"

Regina looked up at that. "Y-yes," she stuttered out. "Will that be all?" The woman nodded. "Can I get a name?"

"Emma."

Ruby was already ready with the order, handing it over with a flirtatious smile. The woman— Emma— graciously accepted the order and smiled to both of them. "Have a nice day!" She walked out of the store, sipping on her hot chocolate the whole way.

"Hot chocolate with cinnamon…" Ruby said slowly. "Sounds familiar." Regina nodded. "Isn't that what Henry always gets?

"It is," Regina replied, still staring at the doors. "I've never had somebody else order that before."

Ruby pouted. "So much for my coffee shop romance."

Regina looked over at her. "What? She was here one time— I'm sure you'll have plenty more chances to flirt with her."

"I'm not going to pursue her when she's _obviously_ your soulmate," Ruby said as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

Regina scoffed. "Just because she has the same rare order as my son, does not mean we are meant to be together."

"C'mon, Regina, you gotta get back in the game anyway," Ruby said, nudging the other brunette with her shoulder. "Take a chance on this girl."

Regina laughed. " _You_ need to stop reading coffee shop romances." The door jingled and another customer walked in. "Now this man is definitely a green tea drinker."

Ruby took the bait for the change of subject. "Nuh-uh, he is totally a soy latte guy!"

—

"She's mine this time," Ruby said as the blonde woman— Emma— walked through the door. Regina rolled her eyes. "Hi! What can I get for you?"

"Hot chocolate, please," Emma said politely. "With cinnamon and whipped cream, too."

Regina had already started to make it, and was finished shortly after Emma had paid for it. "Enjoy," she said with a smile.

"I most certainly will," Emma said with a shy smile before turning and walking out.

Ruby sighed when she left. "Why is it all the girls I think are cute like _you_?"

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Have you seen me?"

"Good point."

—

"My turn," Regina said with a smirk when Emma walked through the door. She stopped in the doorway and held the door open, smiling down at the ten-year-old she let go before her.

Regina smiled at the sight of her son trotting up to the register where she was standing.

"The usual for you, Henry?" Ruby asked as she leaned over the counter.

"Yes, please!" he answered.

"How was school?" Regina asked.

He shrugged. "Fine, I guess. We had to make birdhouses again in Ms. Blanchard's class."

Regina scowled. "Haven't you made enough of those by now?"

"Apparently not."

Ruby appeared with his hot chocolate. "Here you go, kid."

"Thanks, Ruby!" He stepped to the side and started sipping his drink.

Regina turned to the next customer— Emma. "Hello, what can I get for you today?"

"Hot chocolate," Emma answered.

"Whipped cream and cinnamon?" Regina asked, already knowing the answer.

Emma grinned sheepishly. "Yeah."

"Hey!" Henry exclaimed. "That's my order, too!"

Emma turned and smiled. "You have good taste, then."

Henry smiled at that. "You, too! Mom says that I'm going to rot my teeth out if I keep drinking this. But if you drink the same drink, then I'll be fine, because your teeth are pretty! Right, Mom?" He turned to Regina.

Regina heard Ruby's failed attempt to hide a snort behind her hand as she made Emma's drink. Regina's own face reddened slightly as she avoided Emma's gaze. "Just because Emma's teeth didn't rot out doesn't mean yours won't."

"I didn't realize we were on a first name basis," Emma said with a sly grin. "How come you get to know my first name and I don't get to know yours."

"I have a name tag," Regina said, gesturing to the item settled above her heart.

Emma's eyes lingered. "I see." Her eyes snapped up to the brunette's. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Regina." She turned to Henry. "Enjoy it while you can, kid." She smirked over her shoulder at Regina and walked out with her drink.

—

"The usual?" Ruby called out as Emma entered the shop. The blonde nodded and Regina started making her drink. "So, _Emma_ ," Ruby said as she wrote the name on the cup. "What do you do for a living that lets you come into a coffee shop at its most dead time of day?"

"Stripper," she answered bluntly, causing Regina to nearly drop the container in her hands. Emma laughed. "No, I'm just kidding. I may have abs, but I don't have _nearly_ enough ab strength to do what those girls do."

Ruby laughed. "Yeah, I took a class once with a friend and I spent most of the time falling on my ass."

"Same!"

Regina walked over with the drink, placing it on the counter in front of Emma. "Order up," she said softly, distracted by the thought of the abs Emma had mentioned.

"Thanks," Emma said as she picked it up.

"Be careful, it's hot," Regina warned, though why she was warning her, she didn't know.

Emma smirked though. "Good. I like it hot." Without another comment she walked out of the shop with Regina staring after her.

" _Shit_ ," Ruby said as she watched. "You got it _bad_."

—

"How's Henry doing?" Ruby asked as Regina slipped on her apron.

"Better," Regina answered. "I think it was just the 24 hour stomach bug that's been going around the school recently."

"That's good to hear," Ruby said.

She kept glancing over at Regina, and it was starting to unnerve her. "What?"

Ruby waved her hands in front of her. "Nothing! Why would there be something?"

Regina narrowed her eyes. "You're staring at me more than you stare at that librarian that comes through every Thursday."

"Okay Belle _totally_ digs me—"

" _Ruby_."

"Right." Ruby gave a little sigh as she faced the doors, and then turned with an evil grin. "Your girlfriend missed you yesterday."

Regina's eyebrows creased. "My—what?"

"Emma," Ruby clarified. "She came by and was looking around all confused. She asked where you were and I said you were at home with your sick son." Her grin widened impossibly. "And _then_ she started asking questions about you."

"What kind of questions?" Regina asked nervously.

Ruby shrugged. "Oh, you know… if you were married, if you were seeing anyone… if you were easy…"

" _What_?"

Ruby laughed. "Okay I'm kidding on the last one. But she did ask the other two."

Regina straightened her back a little. "And what did you say?"

"I told her the truth," Ruby said, as if the answer was obvious. "You're not married and you're not seeing anyone, but you were open to a new relationship."

"I never said I was—"

"Oh, _please_ , you're totally ready to get into her pants."

" _Ruby_!"

Ruby shook her head with a smirk, walking up to the register. "Sorry, can't talk, Regina. Green tea guy is coming over."

—

Emma walked through the door with more liveliness in her step. Ruby not-so-subtly nudged Regina towards the register. Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes and smiled at the blonde. "Hot chocolate with whip and cinnamon?" she asked.

"Yes, please," Emma said, "but I also wanna switch things up a little."

Regina's finger hovered above the register screen. "Oh?"

Emma's eyes roamed over the menu, not really reading what was on there. "Yeah, I'd like to add something… a little extra. Something _sweet_." She looked down and locked eyes with Regina. "You can pick."

Regina nodded and walked over to pastries, picking out a bear claw. She walked bagged it up and walked back over to Emma, noticing her face drop slightly when she saw the item. "I think you'll like this," she said.

"Yeah," Emma said unconvincingly. "Sounds good."

Ruby walked over with the drink, but before she could hand it over, Regina grabbed it from her. She took the sharpie from her pocket and scribbled her number down on the side before sliding it over. "On the house," she said as she handed it over with a sly grin.

Emma looked at the number and a smile brightened across her face as she looked up at Regina. "Perfect. Just what I needed to hit the spot."

Ruby snorted. "If you think _that's_ hitting the spot then you just wait for what's in store for you _later_."

" _Ruby_!"


End file.
